Hollister School District trustees this week gave authority to post more than $1.3 million worth of new staff positions ahead of the approval for next school year’s budget so they could advertise the jobs before summertime and get the largest possible candidate pool.
To meet the goals set in the district’s Local Control and Accountability Plan – a state required framework that explains goals, actions and investments for the next three school years starting with next fall – the district wants to hire 33 more staff members including two more math coaches; an additional middle school counselor; and more paraprofessionals, information technology personnel and physical education teachers.
“We’re creating new positions that were never envisioned in the current budget,” explained Superintendent Gary McIntire as he spoke to board trustees at a special meeting Tuesday.
Typically the 33 staff positions would have been approved at the regularly scheduled June school board meeting as part of the district budget for next school year, but trustees approved the posting of jobs prior to the budget so that the district could begin a search for new staff to help fulfill the LCAP goals long before summer.
The LCAP is just one step in the rolling out of a new form of state education funding called the Local Control Funding Formula, which gives school districts funding based on the demographic profile of their students, with additional money given for each foster youth, economically disadvantaged youth and English language learner in the district.
In Hollister elementary schools, 34 percent of the students were English language learners and 66 percent were eligible for free or reduced price lunches, according to data from the 2012-2013 Academic Performance Index report.
In order to receive state funding, districts across California must adopt and annually update an LCAP. For HSD, that document is due to the county superintendent June 30 and must include the input of parents, businesses, teachers and students.
A draft of the district’s LCAP shared with the public Tuesday shows surveys from 217 teachers resulted in several “big idea” needs, including a desire for more technology support and additional support personnel such as physical education teachers and paraprofessionals.
To address these concerns, the district plans to hire five elementary physical education teachers for a total of $410,000 and eight site-based technology support staff members for $365,000.
“It may well be June before the positions are filled but we’ve got to start advertising,” said McIntire.
Now that state funding is catching up with the needs of local schools, the HSD will be competing against other districts to secure qualified staff to add to its ranks, reflected school board Trustee Patricia Moore.
The school board trustees authorized the district to start the search for candidates without much discussion, except to explore the addition of site-specific I.T. personnel.
“I’m concerned that the I.T. person is (not) going to be kept busy every day,” said school board Trustee Lupe Navarro.
“There are a number of duties that have been sitting unfulfilled for a long, long time – up to and including – keeping our websites current,” responded McIntire. “We’re seeing these folks as being pretty busy.”
McIntire imagines on-site I.T. staff would update the school’s website, help teachers with technology concerns, and guide instructors through setting up and maintaining classroom websites.
“That would be great,” said Board President Elizabeth Martinez.
The LCAP will be presented to the school board in its final form on June 24. The district budget for next school year will also be presented at that time.
Coming
The next regular school board meeting will be at 6 p.m. May 27 at the HSD office at 2690 Cienega Road in Hollister.
Anticipated cost of the decision: $1,340,000
Positions added to the district:
9 elementary school paraprofessionals
8 site-based technology support staff
7 Thinking Maps coaches
5 elementary physical education teachers
2 math coaches
1 additional middle school counselor
1 Teacher on Special Assignment to the Migrant and Preschool Programs
